The MyKronoz ZeTime is a smartwatch incorporated with mechanical movement. It’s the very first and only fusion of conventional touchscreen display with a vintage mechanical movement so far. Many would be wondering how the technology works, it’s already achieved and the operation is swift. We can say that MyKronoz ZeTime is a pleasing design for individuals with extreme addiction with the traditional look and principles of mechanical watches.
Just to imagine the effort to get you such design, MyKronoz received about $5.3 million pledges on Kickstarter to grant us this topic. And the result is a fully-fledged smart device laden with full-pack of smartwatch features; waterproof fitness tracker with Smartphone notifications. It’s not a standalone device for phone notification features like Apple Series 3 which is one of the top smartwatches available now.
As one the newly released affordable smartwatches, the MyKronoz ZeTime price is from $199.99, depending on the retailer. However, the device can be ordered from the MyKronoz’s website.
Design and features
The MyKronoz ZeTime is designed with a stainless steel case, slightly heavy bezel, though it sits comfortably on the wrist. Available in two models; regular and petite. The regular ZeTime has a size of 44 x 12.8mm and weighs 90g while the petite (smaller) edition weighs 80g and 39 x 12.6mm. ZeTime features three buttons on the right side of the device; a centre rotary button flanked by two clickable buttons. The rotary button doesn’t only control the mechanical time but a scroll on the screen.
The mechanical section of ZeTime sits perfectly above the touchscreen display and protected using premium Sapphire glass to prevent scratches. Each of the mechanical hands is neatly leveraged with a tiny space for free movement and a small elongation to illuminate as the screen glow. This enables a pleasing display of time in the dark. ZeTime has a water rating of 5ATM which makes it swim-friendly and perfect for varied workouts
The ZeTime models have display sizes of 1.22 inches and 1.05 inches for the regular and petite respectively, both sharing a common resolution of 240 x 240 pixels. The regular edition is fantastic, but individuals with poor vision would struggle to read text messages from the petite’s tiny screen size. We preferred navigating the screen with the rotary crown button, not swiping.
Various available body colours increased the fashion flexibility that can be achieved with the ZeTime. And the straps can be changed easily.
Won’t the mechanical hands block notifications on the screen? It doesn’t. MyKronoz were clever enough to handle this by programming the mechanical hands to align vertically each time you open a notification or access a program on the smartwatch. The hands go back to their positions immediately you exit the notification.
The MyKronoz ZeTime has a long lasting battery life. The company alleged that battery can last up to five (5) days at maximum operation and about thirty (30) days if left to run only the mechanical session. We didn’t wait to test the device for thirty days but had 79% battery life left after one week. At full operation, we barely got four (4) days, that’s still nice for any smartwatch at least for now.
The ZeTime works with its own operating system and we understand because of the combined facilities. It also has an app for connection to a smartphone. ZeTime is compatible with both iOS and Android, but the connection is not as good as the Android wears. The customized OS is sluggish at times, though relatively easy to use. This limits the flexibility you’ll want to have from going to Android or Apple app store.
Pros
Affordable at its quality
Elegant design
Full fitness tracker, including HR
Cons
No GPS
Sometimes lose connection with connected device
Limited app
Final Verdict
The MyKronoz ZeTime has a classic look for everyone interested in design. The quality provided by the Swiss company is quite attractive relative to the price tag. Yes, it’s a good buy considering the design and price. But for more flexibility and good price, it’d be ideal to checkout out the best budget smartwatches.
